Banker claims he was framed after telling PC: 'I pay your wages’

A banker who told a police officer “I pay your wages” was falsely accused of
assault by another officer in a “shameful” attempt to frame him, a court
heard.

Police officer Jason Cook at Southwark Crown Court.Photo: CENTRAL

By Agencies

11:55PM BST 15 May 2013

Pc Jason Cooke, 42, claimed that Anthony Jordine had pushed him into a shop window, causing it to break during the incident in Brick Lane, east London, jurors heard.

But Simon Connolly, prosecuting, said it was Pc Cooke who had dived at Mr Jordine, 29, performing a “flying rugby tackle” on him.

Moments later, Mr Jordine, a bank team leader, was forced to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the face, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Describing the incident on February 26 last year, Mr Connolly said: “Mr Jordine was an innocent member of the public minding his own business, out with his brother and his friend. The defendant, rather shamefully, decided to fit him up.

“He pretended Mr Jordine assaulted him in the street, pushing him against a shop window and causing the window to break. The Crown’s case is that isn’t true. Mr Jordine says he never assaulted the officer. Actually, when he was detained by the officer, it was he that was assaulted.”

Mr Jordine, who was in a “jolly” mood, was walking in the street when he was first spoken to by another officer, Pc Alan Porter, the court heard.

“He hadn’t done anything wrong. He was sort of jaywalking, I suppose, but it’s not a road where many cars are moving,’ said Mr Connolly. Mr Jordine told Pc Porter: “There’s no need to be cheeky, officer, I pay your wages.” Pc Porter responded by asking him what he did for work, before saying: “I pay your wages,” jurors heard.

He then radioed Pc Cooke and another officer, Pc Bob Golding asking for assistance. Pc Cooke and Pc Golding chased Mr Jordine, said Mr Connolly. “He is then taken hold of. He will say he was assaulted.”

Mr Jordine was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer and criminal damage, jurors heard. In his statement, Pc Cooke claimed Mr Jordine told him “---- you” and ran off, adding: “I lunged for him and caught hold of his wrist. The subject twisted out of my grip and pushed me off balance, causing me to fall and slam into a door window.”

Mr Connolly said: “Mr Jordine was interviewed and once the CCTV was seen, the view was taken, sensibly you may think, that there wasn’t an allegation properly made against him.

“As a result of seeing that Mr Jordine didn’t, on the face of it, assault the officer, the investigation was diverted to the police officer himself.”

Pc Cooke told the investigation that the incident happened in a “split second” with what he feared was an “unknown threat”. He described the push as a “misunderstanding of words”, saying that “wasn’t what he really meant”.